The wait has been longer, the anticipation growing day by day and there’s still a while to be patient. But Italy’s passionate football fans, who have been watching the 2022 World Cup with something of an empty feeling, can see their game coming home again before too long.
There has been a bigger winter break in Serie A this year, stretching from 13th November to the 4th January and the absence of the Azzurri at the greatest show on earth has given the Italian football community time to take stock. And now Serie A fans are ready for action again, particularly those in Naples whose team sits top of the league table with an eight-point lead over second-place Milan. With Juventus in third and Lazio fourth, Inter Milan are outside the Champions League places and 11 points behind Napoli.
The latest Serie A 2022 betting odds here at SBOTOP have priced Napoli at 1.40 to win the Scudetto, with 2021/22 champions AC Milan at 6.50 and Inter at 7.50. The resumption can’t come fast enough for Napoli fans, and they will hope that their team’s form takes the same path as their results from the first half of each of the last two campaigns.
Napoli started explosively in 2021 and 2022 and the extended break might just play in their favour.
Osimhen commits himself to Napoli
And the league leaders will be delighted to hear that their star striker Victor Osimhen sees no reason to leave the club to further his career. He scored 14 goals and made five assists last season and is attracting interest around Europe with his athletic frame and lightning pace. At 23 years of age Osimhen is an exciting prospect and he has received mighty praise from an Azzurri legend. Former AC Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi believes the Nigerian striker is one of the very best in the world and, if he continues on this trajectory he will challenge the elite very soon.
With nine goals this season Osimhen is in the lead of the race for the Capocannoniere and he is on the radar of a number of big clubs, including Premier League leaders Arsenal.
But in a recent interview in the Italian press Osimhen has allayed the fears of Napoli fans by insisting he has no reason to leave, saying: “Not even 100 per cent, 1,001 per cent. I am at one of the biggest clubs in Europe. This is the life I want to live. When things were not going so well for me, I kept on believing, kept on praying, kept on working hard, I did other jobs before coming back to my love, football. I am in one of the biggest clubs in one of the best leagues in Europe, I was nominated for youth player of the year, and I won so many personal awards for myself, which felt like a huge milestone for me. I’ve got through a lot in life-threatening injuries; I came back and smashed it.”
That must be music to the Napoli fans’ ears. Their team’s Serie A 2022 results have been outstanding, in no part thanks to Osimhen’s nine strikes and his all-round play and his goals might just fire Napoli to the 2022/23 Scudetto.
Serie stars at the World Cup climax
The Italian nation team’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for the second successive time has, understandably, seen a subdued level of interest in Italy, though any football is better than no football and some of Serie A’s stars have made it to the semi-finals.
Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who has been in sensational form, and Milan striker Olivier Giroud will line up for France against Morocco on Wednesday night, while the Atlas Lions will have Fiorentina’s midfield ace Sofyan Amrabat in their line-up. In the other semi-final, Inter’s Marcelo Brozovic started for Croatia in their defeat to Argentina, who started with his clubmate Lautaro Martinez on the bench. Martinez will hope to feature in the final after Lionel Messi inspired his team to a 3-0 win.
And the big New Year kick-off… Inter vs Napoli
Serie A fans are counting down the days until the action starts again and the opening round has thrown up a post-Christmas cracker! AC Milan re-open their campaign with a trip to Salernitana in the curtain raiser, but later on the Saturday leaders Napoli head to the San Siro to take on Inter Milan. If the Gli Azzurri come out of the blocks flying then this might really be their year.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
